Four Counties Ring - Advice and suggestions

[IanD]

3 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Probably because they have found out how awful the beer is.

 

Does beer drinking make men argumentative, petty and childish then or is it just some  (2) on this forum?  Its not what the rest of us want. 

As to the 4 counties, there are much better things to visit than  pubs stinking of beer with argumentative men as customers. And much better places to moor than near said hostelries.

Or perhaps you could resist the temptation to throw petrol onto the flames, in response to a post trying to be genuinely helpful to the OP... 😞

Edited May 10, 2023 by IanD

[Tracy D'arth]

Definitely   

[cuthound]

16 hours ago, gabble said:

I feel the need to offer some support for the Anchor. It is certainly a special place I wish I was closer to.
 

I’ve not had a bad pint in there (obviously that doesn’t mean others haven’t) but I would observe that 6x is perhaps quite a traditional tasting beer (not hop overload). Also I don’t think I’ve tasted the tang of carbon dioxide there either that many pubs now use to artificially preserve the life of beer, but at the expense of the natural flavour evolution/complexity and often the unmistakable tang of co2. Obviously taken to extreme the “natural flavour evolution” is vinegar so moderation in all things.
 

It was certainly on form last summer.
 

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/116062-anchor-high-offley-current-opening-hours/

 

I've never had a bad pint in there either, although I have only stopped there a handful of times over the years. Perhaps it depends on when the barrel was last changed because the turnover is low?

 

 

[Pie Eater]

The North end of the tunnel is a bit grotty so I would avoid it for an overnight mooring.

[Tracy D'arth]

12 minutes ago, Pie Eater said:

The North end of the tunnel is a bit grotty so I would avoid it for an overnight mooring.

Its also under the railway bridge, very noisy. Much better mooring below the first lock the other side of the Macclesfield Canal junction.

[john6767]

23 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Its also under the railway bridge, very noisy. Much better mooring below the first lock the other side of the Macclesfield Canal junction.

Or near Red Bill services

[Tracy D'arth]

27 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Or near Red Bill services

The moorings below the Red Bull services are always full when the weather is good for boating and the railway line is the other side of the canal so I find them not to be so good.  If you are going through the tunnel in the morning, its a fair jaunt with an early start to get to the tunnel. 

Invariably the minders do a passage south to north in a morning so if going south, you may have a wait anyway.

[ditchcrawler]

25 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

The moorings below the Red Bull services are always full when the weather is good for boating and the railway line is the other side of the canal so I find them not to be so good.  If you are going through the tunnel in the morning, its a fair jaunt with an early start to get to the tunnel. 

Invariably the minders do a passage south to north in a morning so if going south, you may have a wait anyway.

Quote

Last trip I went through first this trip they came the other way first

 

[Captain Pegg]

I've just been looking at passages through Harecastle for next week and given there are bookable southbound passages at 1400 and 1600 and just a single northbound one at 1500 it does suggest the nominal morning passages are 0800, 1000 and 1200 northbound and 0900 and 1100 southbound. That assumes that there are boats waiting for each passage though as when I turned up for a 1200 booked northbound passage over winter I got straight in at 1115.

 

Certainly my intention is to be there for an 0800 northbound passage next week. Fingers crossed I'm correct in my assumption.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[ditchcrawler]

17 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

I've just been looking at passages through Harecastle for next week and given there are bookable southbound passages at 1400 and 1600 and just a single northbound one at 1500 it does suggest the nominal morning passages are 0800, 1000 and 1200 northbound and 0900 and 1100 southbound. That assumes that there are boats waiting for each passage though as when I turned up for a 1200 booked northbound passage over winter I got straight in at 1115.

 

Certainly my intention is to be there for an 0800 northbound passage next week. Fingers crossed I'm correct in my assumption.

In the morning they go as soon as the tunnel is empty. As I said my last two passages they have started at alternative ends . if you arrive half an hour after the boats have gone in they may let you straight in if no one is at the other end.

 

The Dawn Choirs is quite loud at the tunnel entrance if you moor there overnight

Edited May 10, 2023 by ditchcrawler
I like adding bits

[Captain Pegg]

8 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

In the morning they go as soon as the tunnel is empty. As I said my last two passages they have started at alternative ends . if you arrive half an hour after the boats have gone in they may let you straight in if no one is at the other end.

 

The Dawn Choirs is quite loud at the tunnel entrance if you moor there overnight

 

I'll be there overnight. 0800 will constitute a late start.

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

I'll be there overnight. 0800 will constitute a late start.

That is because you are not old and it doesn't matter when you get there

[Alan de Enfield]

43 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

That is because you are not old and it doesn't matter when you get there

 

"Nothing to do, and all day to do it"

[Captain Pegg]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

That is because you are not old and it doesn't matter when you get there

 

I'm only not old in the context of this forum. My kids doubtless think I'm ancient.

 

It absolute matters when I get there. Fixed price based on a 12 hour day.

[agg221]

On 08/05/2023 at 21:57, Richard T said:

Audlem is a must for the Mill shop which has all things relating to canal books etc. There is an honesty box at the top of the flight which sells good cakes.

Depending on where the timing puts you, and what you like doing with your evenings, The Shroppie Fly is now doing really good food again - had lunch there just after Easter and dinner last night. Despite being short-staffed the service was friendly and efficient. I seriously hope the new landlord (who is also a liveaboard boater) stays for a long time - it feels like a decent pub again. The Bridge next door can be excellent as more of a pub, but I particularly like it when they have a band on.

 

I would second the comment about Audlem Mill bookshop, although sadly not for much longer. There is also a good butchers.

 

Market Drayton is one of the most convenient places for shops - the visitor moorings are good for the town centre, including the cafe by the butter market and the excellent Chinese restaurant. If it's a quick trip to a supermarket then Morrisons is a shorter walk from bridge 65 (Victoria bridge).

 

Brewood is quite a nice little town and has a few shops and pubs/restaurants. It's quite a nice place to spend an hour. There is also a decent pub right by the canal.

 

There is surprisingly little between Brewood and Penkridge. It's not actually that far, well under a day's cruising, but we have tended to try and avoid stopping within that stretch as it just isn't very interesting, although it's pleasant enough countryside for the most part. If you do find yourself needing to moor near Autherley junction then it's probably slightly nicer if you go on a bit towards Aldersley. If your boat is 26' then you can wind anywhere, but for longer boats it's only a few minutes down to Aldersley, wind and then head back to Autherley. Autherley junction is also slightly easier from the south than the north - not enough to bother doing the trip specifically but it does help, particularly in a longer boat or one which is prone to being blown around.

 

Alec

[StephenA]

1 minute ago, agg221 said:

 

Market Drayton is one of the most convenient places for shops - the visitor moorings are good for the town centre, including the cafe by the butter market and the excellent Chinese restaurant. If it's a quick trip to a supermarket then Morrisons is a shorter walk from bridge 65 (Victoria bridge).

 

 

 

There is an ASDA which is a shortish walk up from Bridge 62 or 63

[agg221]

3 minutes ago, StephenA said:

 

There is an ASDA which is a shortish walk up from Bridge 62 or 63

 

True, I had forgotten that. We are moored north of bridge 65 and Morrisons is also open much later (10pm I think) so it is always the easier option for us. Not sure which would be the shorter walk from mooring by its respective bridge - very little in it I think.

 

Alec

[StephenA]

34 minutes ago, agg221 said:

 

True, I had forgotten that. We are moored north of bridge 65 and Morrisons is also open much later (10pm I think) so it is always the easier option for us. Not sure which would be the shorter walk from mooring by its respective bridge - very little in it I think.

 

Alec

 

We're on Ladybird moorings. The ASDA is open until 10pm as well.

[agg221]

14 minutes ago, StephenA said:

 

We're on Ladybird moorings. The ASDA is open until 10pm as well.

Useful to know - I'm probably in too much of a hurry to get to the Chinese to have noticed! We are on the farm moorings out near Betton Wood Bend.

 

Alec

[StephenA]

9 minutes ago, agg221 said:

Useful to know - I'm probably in too much of a hurry to get to the Chinese to have noticed! We are on the farm moorings out near Betton Wood Bend.

 

Alec

 

So the take away just up from the Shropshire Star? or Foodshion Garden

[agg221]

6 minutes ago, StephenA said:

 

So the take away just up from the Shropshire Star? or Foodshion Garden

Foodshion Garden for us. Wei Sun is always very welcoming.

 

Alec

[EnglishRose]

On 08/05/2023 at 16:13, Goliath said:

Got any photos?

Bluebell woods are lovely. 
 

I thought it were late for them 🤷‍♀️
but there’s plenty dotted about the BCN

Stoke are way behind Shropshire. In Grindley Brook our bluebells have almost been and gone but my parents who are close to Leek says there's are in full bloom.

On 08/05/2023 at 21:57, Richard T said:

Penkridge has Jaspers bakery

I used to work at the nearby prison and Jasper's was a frequent stop on my way in to work!

On 08/05/2023 at 22:34, Stroudwater1 said:

Unless you spend every day in a pub a detour to Anderton and the boat lift could be worthwhile if there’s time. 

We used to live pretty much next door to the boat lift for 10 years, Stanley Arms was our regular (it was very good then went a bit downhill, not sure how it is now). Been up the boat lift manu times.

On 09/05/2023 at 00:43, agg221 said:

The trip up to the Black Lion at Consall Forge was well worth it.

 

Its a shame the Black Lion has been shut a while for food due to the fire (8 months now). They are open at weekends but for outside and snack sort of food. I love it there.

 

On 09/05/2023 at 17:11, Goliath said:

Midland Potteries is worth a stop over too. With a mix of workshops. 
 

And Gladstone Pottery Museum where you can walk inside the kilns. 

I have a soft spot for the potteries. I worked in a pot bank. It used to be red hot in summer with the kilns going and in winter we would be toasty warm from them.

[EnglishRose]

On 08/05/2023 at 16:08, Tracy D'arth said:

If you go clockwise you can still do the Caldon, its not one way through Stoke bottom lock, and you then descend Audlem with its vicious bywashes rather than struggle getting into the tail of locks.

 

That sounds a good plan, so clockwise from Grindley Brook we would head to Hurleston, then Barbridge, Middlewich, Wheelock towards Red Bull and then Harecastle, Etruria and Stone. Then Great Haywood onto the Staffs and Worcester, Gnosall etc and Audlem and Nantwich before back to Hurleston and homebound (not including Cauldon, depends on time). We also didn't realize it was half term too! We set off on the Thursday afternoon before kids break up 🙄 but we have 10 nights/11 days.